Re: bug in option parsing

[Eric Blake]

Alexandre Duret-Lutz wrote:
> > > > "Eric" == Eric Blake <address@hidden> writes:
>
> Thanks, I'm checking this in on HEAD.
>
> 2004-11-21  Alexandre Duret-Lutz  <address@hidden>
>
>         * automake.in (parse_arguments): Diagnose empty arguments, options
>         with missing argument, and support `--'.
>         * aclocal.in (parse_arguments): Diagnose options with missing
>         argument.
>         * tests/aclocal.test: More checks.
>         * tests/automake.test: New file.
>         * tests/postprog.test: Use `--' for fun.
>         * tests/Makefile.am (TESTS): Add automake.test.
>         Report from Eric Blake.
>
> @@ -666,8 +666,25 @@
>  
>    if (@ARGV)
>      {
> -      fatal ("unrecognized option `$ARGV[0]'\n"
> -            . "Try `$0 --help' for more information.");
> +      my %argopts;
> +      for my $k (keys %cli_options)
> +       {
> +         if ($k =~ /(.*)=s$/)
> +           {
> +             map { $argopts{(length ($_) == 1)
> +                            ? "-$_" : "--$_" } = 1; } (split (/\|/, $1));
> +           }
> +       }
> +      if (exists $argopts{$ARGV[0]})
> +       {
> +         fatal ("option `$ARGV[0]' requires an argument\n"
> +                . "Try `$0 --help' for more information.");
> +       }
> +      else
> +       {
> +         fatal ("unrecognized option `$ARGV[0]'\n"
> +                . "Try `$0 --help' for more information.");
> +       }
>      }

This hunk leaves some odd behavior on abbreviated options:
$ automake --warnings
automake: option `--warnings' requires an argument
automake: Try `/usr/local/bin/automake --help' for more information.
# good, I expected that

$ automake --warnings ''
# no messages, no changes in warning levels, I guess that's okay

$ automake --warnings=
automake: unrecognized option `--warnings='.
automake: Try `/usr/local/bin/automake --help' for more information.
# oops, shouldn't that have been the same as --warnings ''?

$ automake --warn ''
# no messages, so auto-abbrev kicked in

$ automake --warn
automake: unrecognized option `--warn'.
automake: Try `/usr/local/bin/automake --help' for more information.
# oops, --warn is a recognized abbreviated option, but missing an argument


Also, do you really want case-insensitive long options, and support for +option?
$ automake +vErSiOn
automake (GNU automake) 1.9a
[...]

You may want to consider enabling the Getopt::Long options gnu_getopt and 
no_ignore_case, or have a look at perldoc Getopt::Long for some of the other 
configuration options that may improve option handling in accordance with GNU 
standards.

One last comment on options: `automake --help' fails to document 
-o/--output-dir, and aclocal -I does not have a corresponding long option.

--
Someday, I might put a cute statement here.

Eric Blake             address@hidden